Protecting intellectual property

9

patent applications

to safeguard its state-of-the-art devices

3

patent applications

for exterior designs

Invented in Fincantieri

In order to safeguard the constant investment we make in research and development, the know-how we have acquired and consolidated over the years, and the competitive advantage we have gained thanks to the innovations we have introduced, protecting our intellectual property is essential. This is why Fincantieri has doubled the number of patent applications it has filed in the last three years. In 2015 it filed 9 more to safeguard its state-of-the-art devices and 3 for exterior designs - innovations that will feature in the Group's products.

The procedure for protecting intellectual property involves the Company's various Business Units across the board, and mainly concerns construction methods, naval components and new design concepts. Intellectual Property Management deals with this job, performing a number of functions: it identifies the opportunities and risks of the project portfolio, implementing the relative protection and cross-licensing; it reduces patent portfolio costs, optimizing the scope of protection; and it manages the patent filing process, making sure that it is in line with the strategic priorities.